Southeast Asia News latest RSS headlines - Bangladesh Sun.com

Ireland has no strategy to tackle Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:00:04 -0400

Irish all-rounder Kevin O'Brien, whose team will face Pakistan in the upcoming two ODI series at home, has said that Saeed Ajmal is a "tricky customer" as well as "one of the best spinners in the world", but admits his team has no specific plans on how to tackle Ajmal in the upcoming matches. The 29 year-old, who was also part of the side that knocked Pakistan out of the 2007 World Cup in the ...

Obama Speech Attempts to Fulfill Pledges For More Transparency

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:15:03 -0400

WHITE HOUSE The Obama administration on Wednesday formally acknowledged the killing of four Americans in drone strikes. This came on the eve of a speech by President Barack Obama about the legal principles supporting use of drones against terrorist suspects, and about detention policies. The use of drone warfare and targeted killings, including of Americans helping al-Qaida or ...

Kolkata hosts meet to enhance bilateral trade ties with Bangladesh

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:10:04 -0400

Kolkata recently hosted a meeting on Tuesday to discuss measures that needs to be taken to increase cross border trade with Bangladesh. Amit Kumar Roy, Commissioner of Customs said that expectations were high as India considered Bangladesh a friendly and compliant neighbour. "Compared to other countries, compared to Pakistan etc, Bangladesh is very friendly and very compliant. They are very ...

Whatmore backs Misbahs batting skills

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:10:02 -0400

Pakistan cricket team coach Dav Whatmore has backed captain Misbah-ul-Haq's batting skills. PakPassion quoted Whatmore as saying that Misbah has inspired other batsmen with his efforts and performance, although rotation and change in the battiing order is always an open option. Whatmore said that Misbah's enthusiastic zeal has motivated other players to bring the same passion to their batting. ...

YouTube ban in Pakistan not lifted

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:00:01 -0400

The reports of YouTube restoration in Pakistan turned out to be a rumour, as it was not restored even after a section of the media had announced the lifting of the ban, on Tuesday. The announcement had spurred a glint of happiness amongst internet users, but when thousands of them tried to open the site it was found to be blocked, reports the Daily Times. Concerned authorities, however, had not ...

China to consolidate Pakistan ties Li

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:50:01 -0400

China would firmly consolidate and develop ties with Pakistan "no matter how the international and regional situation changes", said Chinese Premier Li Keqiang who arrived here Wednesday on an official visit to Pakistan. Li said that as he began his visit, he brought with him the Chinese people's friendship to the Pakistani people. Pakistan, a key South Asian country, has made important ...

U.S. Myanmar sign trade agreement

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:40:04 -0400

Beijing, May 22 (Xinhua-ANI): The United States and Myanmar on Tuesday signed a trade and investment framework agreement, announced the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) in a statement. The signing of the agreement came a day after U.S. President Barack Obama met with Myanmar President Thein Sein in the White House. Sein was the first president of Myanmar to visit the White House in ...

Imran Khans PTI seeks pro-Taliban clerics help to initiate peace talks with outfit

Wed, 22 May 2013 05:40:02 -0400

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has sought the help of an elderly pro-Taliban cleric to initiate peace talks with the militants, party officials have said. The political party approached Samiul Haq, also known as the "Father of the Taliban", after emerging from elections as the largest party in the troubled northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, reports The Express Tribune. Khyber ...

Chinese premier arrives in Pakistan

Wed, 22 May 2013 05:20:01 -0400

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang arrived here Wednesday for an official visit to Pakistan, aiming to deepen friendship between the two neighbouring countries. Li's plane was escorted by six fighter jets of the Pakistani air force when it entered the country's airspace, reported Xinhua. The Chinese premier was warmly welcomed at the airport by Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and interim Prime ...

Pak all-rounder Hafeez says playing against India always special

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:50:03 -0400

Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez, who is gearing up for the Champions Trophy clash against India, has said that any encounter between the rivals on the cricketing field is 'always very special'. The Daily Times quoted Hafeez, as saying that the players were eagerly awaiting the match against India, as it would also determine their chances of qualifying for the knockout stage of the ...

Pak batsman Mohd Yousuf rubbishes media reports of retirement from intl cricket

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:50:02 -0400

Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yousuf has rejected media reports which said that he has retired from international cricket. The 38-year-old cricketer said that he is already out of the Pakistan team and haven't played top class cricket for a while now, so there is no need for him to announce any retirement, reports the Daily Times. Yousuf last played for Pakistan in an ODI against South Africa in ...

Jimmy Shergill looking forward to work with Pakistan film industry

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:20:02 -0400

Jimmy Shergill has said that Hindi and Punjabi films have a huge audience from Pakistan - especially in Canada. It's been a super busy year for the Bollywood actor. With over 50 Hindi and Punjabi films under his belt, Shergill has proven himself as the versatile actor he always dreamt of being, even if it took him 17 years. While he loves to do Punjabi films, Shergill says that his bread and ...

UAE Singapore discuss global development

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:40:01 -0400

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Singapore have held talks over international development. The talks were held between UAE's minister for international cooperation and development, Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid al-Qasimi and visiting Singaporean minister for foreign affairs K. Shanmugam and his delegation. Both sides discussed ways to support efforts in international development, stimulating the ...

Revision of Mental Illness Guide Stirs Debate

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:18:40 -0400

A long-anticipated revision of an official diagnostic guide to mental illness, known as the DSM-5, was released this week. While the new manual is being welcomed by some doctors as reflecting advancements in the understanding and diagnosis of mental disorders, critics say its definitions of psychiatric conditions are based too much on symptoms and too little on the biological causes of mental ...

No investigation of tourist’s death

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:16:23 -0400

Paper Edition | Page: 5 The Langkat Police have acknowledged facing difficulties in establishing the cause of death of an English tourist in April after she drank illicit alcohol at the Bukit Lawang tourist resort in Langkat regency, North Sumatra.Langkat Police chief of detectives Adj. Sr. Comr. Rosyid Hartanto said the police had yet to receive a report from her relatives on her death, which ...

BNI to reap profits from Japanese SMEs

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:16:22 -0400

State-owned bank PT Bank Negara Indonesia hopes to lure Japanese small and medium enterprises to invest in Indonesia by engaging Japanese state lender The Shoko Chukin Bank Ltd."The chances are bigger for us to increase the volume of and fee-based income from banking transactions with the cooperation between BNI and The Shoko Chukin Bank Ltd., especially from transactions made by Japanese ...

Jokowi aghast at unauthorized film on him

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:16:21 -0400

Governor Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has objected to director Azhar Kinoi Lubis making a movie about him without his consent.The former Surakarta mayor said that he had never met the director."I don't know [the director], I haven't met him. I don't want it made," he said at City Hall on Wednesday as quoted by kompas.com.Jokowi said that distribution of the movie could ...

Mt. Sangeang Api on alert

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:16:20 -0400

Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center raised the status of Mount Sangeang Api on Sangeang Island, Bima regency, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), to alert after volcanic activity continued to increase over the past two weeks.Local residents and visitors have been warned to stay outside a 5-kilometer radius from the crater. The mountain has been closed to climbers.The head of Mt. Sangeang ...

Singapore GDP +1.8 On Quarter In Q1

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:13:50 -0400

Singapore's gross domestic product was up a seasonally adjusted annualized 1.8 percent in the first quarter of 2013 compared to the previous three months, the Ministry of Trade and Industry said in Thursday's revised reading.That's sharply higher than last month's advanced estimate that showed a 1.4 percent contraction - although it's still down from the 3.3 percent ...

Asian expat workers end rare UAE strike—company

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:08:07 -0400

DUBAI--Thousands of mainly Asian expatriate workers in the United Arab Emirates have ended a strike they began at the weekend in a rare stoppage aimed at improving their conditions, their employer said Wednesday. ';Arabtec confirms that all workers returned to work with no impact on any of its projects,'; the Dubai-based company, which is constructing the Louvre Abu Dhabi, said in a ...

China-Pakistan bond unbreakable premier

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:03:44 -0400

The relationship between China and Pakistan is unbreakable, and the two neighbors are intent on deepening their strategic cooperation, visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said here ...

Promote property investment abroad

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:03:36 -0400

BRUINEI should be actively promoting property investment in the Sultanate abroad as it has the right elements to do so, said a real estate investment specialist.In an exclusive interview with The Brunei Times, ...

Berakas Forest Reserve site for Green Wave project

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:03:30 -0400

Berakas Forest Reserve.Taking part in the "Green Wave" to promote awareness of the need to protect biodiversity were members of the Forestry Department, the Royal Brunei Armed Forces, staff and students ...

Debts and dress code discussed at seminar

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:03:25 -0400

Shafi'i .The lecturer said Muslims are required to dress properly and use perfume before entering a mosque. They are also encouraged to clean their teeth as bad breath can disturb the concentration of other members of the congregation.The lecturer pointed out ...

Impact of social media in defence

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:03:19 -0400

DIALOGUE acknowledging the benefits of information sharing, awareness and public engagement through social media was held yesterday among ASEAN ...

ASEAN plans regional volunteer corps

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:03:13 -0400

ASEAN is looking to set up a regional volunteer corps of young professionals with three initial short-term projects slated to be carried out in Cambodia, Philippines and Indonesia this year.The proposed initiative by Brunei, was endorsed yesterday at ...

South Korean firm bags $139m Sungai Brunei bridge contract

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:03:08 -0400

Daelim Industrial won a contract to build the Brunei Liquefied Natural Gas plant.The Ministry of Development and the Korean Embassy in Brunei were unable to provide further information yesterday.The report in The Korea Times said the company would be responsible for the architectural design and building of the "cable-stayed bridge", access roads, ...

Philippines eyeing to double its tourism receipts to $8 billion in 2016

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:47:05 -0400

MANILA, Philippines - In line with heightened efforts to boost the country's tourism industry, the government is eyeing to double its tourism receipts to $8 billion in 2016, a tourism official said. Tourism Promotion Board chief operating officer Domingo Ramon Enerio III, in an interview with The STAR at the Puregold Sari-Sari Store Convention, said for this year alone, tourism receipts - ...

Ministers Endorse Brunei Initiative For Regional Volunteer Corps

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:47:04 -0400

Bandar Seri Begawan - The Asean Ministerial Meeting on Youth endorsed Wednesday a Brunei initiative to establish a regional volunteer corps of young professionals that complements a youth volunteer programme in ...

Thailand tourism up from January to April

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:47:03 -0400

International tourist arrivals to Thailand posted a growth of 19.04% during January to April this year, according to Ministry of Tourism and Sports' data. Released late last week, the ministry's research registered 8,841,730 trips to the country during the first 4 months, up from 7,427,772 visits during the same period last year. In April alone, there were 2,013,012 trips, up 19.38% ...

Monthly IMTS Release For Timelier Indicator Of Development In Bruneis International Trade

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:47:02 -0400

View Comments Bandar Seri Begawan - The total trade balance figure in January 2013 showed an increase for January and a decrease for February 2013, according to statistics from the Department of Economic Planning and Development (JPKE) under the Prime Minister's Office. The department has started to release the International Merchandise Trade Statistics (IMTS) on a monthly basis. According ...

Video Undercover in a Bangladesh clothing factory

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:46:00 -0400

Many of the clothes sold in American stores come from factories in Bangladesh, which has a history of workplace disasters. Following the factory collapse last month that killed over 1,000 people, Holly Williams went undercover to see what the conditions are really ...

British PM London Killing Appears to be Terrorism

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:09:16 -0400

British Prime Minister David Cameron says the daylight killing of a man on a south London street near an army barracks appears to be a terrorist ...

Report Crisis stoking anti-migrant bias in Europe

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:07:02 -0400

A top human rights group is warning that the plight of refugees and migrants fleeing wars and economic hardship is worsening in Europe as financial turmoil and austerity stokes bias against foreigners.In its annual global report on human rights, Amnesty International points to Greece's tough new immigration laws and Italy's deportation of asylum seekers to countries where they are at ...

President inaugurates new army chief

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:07:01 -0400

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Wednesday installed Lt. Gen. Moeldoko as the new Army chief of staff, replacing Gen. Pramono Wibowo, who retired.The inauguration ceremony was conducted at the State Palace and attended by several Cabinet ministers. Moeldoko was Pramono's deputy and previously served as the deputy governor of the National Resilience Institute (Lemhannas) from August ...

Hanura to pay for candidates campaigns

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:06:59 -0400

The People's Conscience Party (Hanura) will provide campaign funds to its legislative candidates who will compete in 2014."We have special funds for campaign financing to individual candidates. We're looking into the party's support in every electoral region," party secretary general Dossy Iskandar said as quoted by tribunnews.com.Dossy said the amount of financial ...

PPP nixes Munarman from legislative list

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:06:58 -0400

The Islam-based United Development Party (PPP) has removed the name of Islam Defenders Front (FPI) spokesman Munarman from its provisional legislative candidate list."Munarman has been replaced by Ibnu Jajar Dewantara, chairman of the PPP chapter in South Sumatra," party secretary general M. Romahurmuziy said as quoted by tribunnews.com on Wednesday. The party, he said, also cancelled ...

HK hails the return of the duck

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:59:28 -0400

Hong Kong on Tuesday joyfully welcomed the return of a giant inflatable rubber duck, which drew tens of thousands of visitors before it was abruptly deflated for maintenance for almost a week. The southern Chinese city has taken the 16.5-metre-tall (54-feet) yellow inflatable duck, conceived by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, to its heart since it was towed into the harbour on May 2 to cheering ...

China Galaxy soars 11 pct in debut after $1.1 billion HK IPO

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:59:26 -0400

China Galaxy Securities Co Ltd rose as much as 11.3 percent in its trading debut on Wednesday after raising $1.1 billion in a Hong Kong IPO, underscoring a surge in retail investors’ demand for new listings in the city. The debut of China’s seventh-biggest brokerage, and that of Sinopec Engineering (Group) Co Ltd on Thursday, will be bellwethers for a slew of Hong Kong offerings in ...

Why Taiwan Won’t Let The Philippines Off Easy

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:59:25 -0400

Veteran Taiwanese political scientist George Tsai cringes at the anti-Philippine hysteria that swept his homeland like a typhoon after May 9. That day Taiwan began its campaign for an apology from Manila over the shooting of a local fisherman. What got into us, asked George Tsai, Taiwan Foundation for Democracy vice president and professor at Chinese Cultural University in Taipei. ...

Taiwan fares well in US’ religious freedom report

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:59:24 -0400

Religious freedom is ';generally respected'; in Taiwan with no major problems last year, according to an annual US Department of State report issued on Monday. Taiwan’s record was in stark contrast to that of China where – according to the report – Beijing routinely enforces laws that restrict religious freedom. Findings for last year of the International Religious ...

Taiwan Dollar Forwards Gain a Third Day Before Bernanke Speech

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:59:23 -0400

Taiwan dollar forwards rose for a third day on speculation Federal Reserve Chair Ben S. Bernanke will signal today the need to sustain stimulus policies that have spurred fund flows into emerging markets. Bernanke is due to address Congress today and the Federal Open Market Committee is scheduled to release minutes of its last meeting. Fed Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard said ...

Kenneth Bae American Jailed In N Korea Spoke Of ‘Collapsing’ Country’s ‘Walls’ In 2009 Sermon

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:59:19 -0400

A 44-year-old American citizen, jailed last year in North Korea accused of seeking to topple the government, said in 2009 that he wished to ';collapse'; the ';walls'; separating North Korea from the rest of the world and that he had asked US churches to send members to worship in the hermetic communist nation. According to a recently unearthed video, Kenneth Bae, who was ...

Fishermen free but China angry at N Korea

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:59:17 -0400

The North Koreans have released 16 Chinese fishermen who were captured and held for ransom for a fortnight, but the ordeal has angered its sole ally and trading partner. The owner of the fishing vessel, Yu Xuejun, confirmed the men had been set free yesterday after their boat was seized in waters between China and the rogue ...

N Korea’s hidden labour camps exposed

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:59:13 -0400

Even with new leader Kim Jong-un at the helm, North Korea remains the most reclusive and closed country in the world: It is a police state inside a totalitarian system ruled by a family dynasty that encourages a cultish ideology and following. The regime controls everything. There is no free speech, free trade, fair court, no Fox News or MSNBC equivalent. Outsiders are not allowed to freely ...

Greek PM invites China to ‘join Greece’s success story’

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:59:10 -0400

Officials in Brussels and Washington may view China’s global shopping spree with alarm, as the Asian power house continues to buy up companies, sovereign debt, ports, and bridges around the world. But the Greeks are already dusting off the red carpet. On a five-day visit to Beijing that ended Monday, Greek prime minister Antonis Samaras eagerly invited the Chinese to ';join ...

Yet Another China Growth Downgrade

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:59:08 -0400

Another week, another downgrade as pessimism spreads about China’s economic prospects. This time it’s UBS Securities (UBS), which cut its 2013 forecast for gross domestic product expansion from 8 percent to 7.7 percent. ';Increasingly evidence suggests that growth will be weaker than we previously envisaged,'; writes Tao Wang, UBS’s chief China economist, in a May 21 ...

China’s Li offers to help end Pakistan’s energy crisis

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:59:06 -0400

China and Pakistan should make cooperation on power generation a priority, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said, as Islamabad seeks to end an energy crisis that triggers power cuts of up to 20 hours a day, bringing the economy to a near standstill. Li arrived in the Pakistan capital on Wednesday on the second leg of his first official trip since taking office in March after a visit to ...

Chinese PM on Pakistan visit

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:59:05 -0400

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang arrives in Pakistan Wednesday for a two-day visit where he will meet prime minister-elect Nawaz Sharif as the long-time allies look to boost trade ties. Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) party swept to victory in the May 11 general election on a promise to revitalise Pakistan’s struggling economy and help from its giant neighbour to the north will ...

In film market China allures but also deters

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:59:04 -0400

In just a few years, China has become the world’s most enticing movie market, but the pitfalls there for foreign filmmakers are many, experts say. Censorship, bureaucracy and piracy head the roster of concerns, according to specialists interviewed in China, Hong Kong and at the Cannes Film Festival. ';China is extremely complicated when it comes to the cinema,'; said Jerome ...

PM Li Keqiang faces litmus test in Pakistan China’s ‘iron brother’

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:59:03 -0400

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang faces the challenge of meeting conflicting demands for his attention and Beijing’s purse when he lands in Pakistan on Wednesday at the end of his India visit, his first foreign tour after assuming office. Li needs to pay equal attention to the aspirations of newly elected prime minister Nawaz Sharif and the armed forces led by Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, sources ...

China Space Programme Ramping Up Capabilities Pentagon Says

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:59:01 -0400

China’s growing space prowess shows no signs of slowing, the US Department of Defense said in its annual report to Congress on military and security developments involving the People’s Republic of China. The Pentagon has been carefully monitoring China’s space activities, and pointed out that last year, the country conducted a total of 18 space launches and expanded its ...

China arrests 13 over protest ‘rumours’

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:59:00 -0400

Chinese authorities have arrested 13 people for Internet posts that sparked a rare protest in Beijing, highlighting tensions between officials and migrant workers, police said. The 13 held include the boyfriend of Yuan Liya, a 22-year-old woman who fell to her death from a shopping mall, igniting the hours-long protest by hundreds of people earlier this month, Beijing police said late Tuesday. ...

Japan to Follow Own Path on Abductee Issue With N Korea

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:58:59 -0400

A senior Japanese official said on Tuesday that Tokyo will stick with its policy of making its own overtures to North Korea on what it believes are abductions of its citizens, dismissing US and South Korean concerns that the North may try to drive a wedge between the three nations. A surprise trip to Pyongyang last week by a top aide to prime minister Shinzo Abe irked Japan’s allies, who ...

Fed’s Bullard Says ECB Needs ‘Aggressive’ QE to Avoid Japan Fate

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:58:58 -0400

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard said Europe risks an extended period of low growth and deflation like Japan’s unless the European Central Bank acts with an aggressive quantitative easing programme. ';You should worry about it, and then take policy action to avoid it,'; Bullard said in Frankfurt today in response to an audience question after a speech. ...

Japan April exports rise 3.8 pct yearyear – MOF

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:58:55 -0400

Japanese exports rose 3.8 percent in April from a year earlier, marking a second straight month of gains, Ministry of Finance data showed on Wednesday, in a sign that a weaker yen and a pickup in global demand are helping the export-reliant economy. The MOF data also showed that Japan logged a trade deficit in April for a 10th straight month, with higher import costs offsetting export gains due ...

S’pore Japan prime ministers express wish for enhanced bilateral ties

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:58:53 -0400

The prime ministers of Singapore and Japan have expressed the desire to enhance bilateral ties. Singapore’s prime minister Lee Hsien Loong met his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, in Tokyo, Japan on Wednesday. In his opening remarks, Abe said both countries share the same values of freedom and democracy. He added Singapore and Japan can work together for peace and stability in the ...

Japan Confronts Pyongyang Abductions

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:58:52 -0400

A senior Japanese official said Tokyo will make its own overtures to North Korea on what it claims are abductions of Japanese citizens, dismissing US and South Korean concern that the North may try to drive a wedge between the three allies. A surprise trip to Pyongyang last week by Isao Iijima, a senior aide to prime minister Shinzo Abe, irked Japan’s allies, who fear such moves could ...

Japan Keeps Monetary Policy Steady Amid Deflation Fight

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:58:51 -0400

The Bank of Japan stood pat on monetary policy Wednesday amid market jitters over volatility in bond markets, which has threatened to undermine the country’s battle to end deflation and stimulate growth in the giant economy. In a unanimous vote, the bank’s board stuck to its strategy of expanding the monetary base at an annual pace of 60 trillion yen to 70 trillion yen, or $585 ...

Lis QA with Pakistani media

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:55:29 -0400

/enpproperty--> Editor's note: The following is an English translation of a written interview given to the Pakistani media by Premier Li Keqiang. Q1. We have learned that you made your first visit to Pakistan 27 years ago. Could you tell us what impression you got on that visit? This is your first visit to Pakistan since you took office as Chinese Premier. What expectations do you ...

Li raises proposal for boosting ties with Pakistan

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:55:25 -0400

/enpproperty--> ISLAMABAD - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang presented here Wednesday a five-point proposal for further deepening friendship and cooperation with Pakistan. He made the suggestions during talks with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Interim Prime Minister Mir Hazar Khan Khoso, during which the two sides reached important consensuses on boosting the bilateral strategic ...

China Pakistan to be good partners brothers forever

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:54:53 -0400

China and Pakistan will always be good partners and brothers that are reliable and sincere to each other, visiting Premier Li Keqiang said ...

British firms face ethical dilemmas in Bangladesh

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:49:53 -0400

For the first time, Tesco, one of the largest retailers in the world, opened the doors to its factory in Bangladesh. ITV News visited a production center said to be ethically run. It manufactures many of the 40 million garments made in Bangladesh every year for the supermarket giant Tesco. ITV's Laura Kuennsberg ...

Despite reforms Myanmars ethnic violence continues

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:28:59 -0400

-- When the European Union recently lifted economic sanctions on Myanmar, it closed a decades-long chapter designed to encourage democratic reform in the country. Although an arms embargo remains in place, the action will send an unequivocal message of "mission accomplished." But while the EU is celebrating the "new Myanmar," Rohingya Muslims in the western part of the ...

US Officially Acknowledges Drone Strike Killings

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:00:27 -0400

The U.S. Justice Department has formally acknowledged that the United States has killed four American citizens in drone strikes in Yemen and Pakistan since ...

Italian Judge Orders Criminal Trial for Costa Concordia Captain

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:00:27 -0400

An Italian judge has ordered the captain of the capsized cruise ship Costa Concordia to stand trial for the deaths of 32 passengers. Captain Francesco Schettino has been charged with manslaughter, causing a shipwreck, and abandoning ship before all the passengers were safe. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. The Costa Concordia struck rocks and capsized off the coast of ...

Singapore Data On Tap For Thursday

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:55:32 -0400

Singapore is on Thursday scheduled to release April figures for inflation and industrial production, highlighting a modest day for Asia-Pacific economic activity.Inflation is expected to add 0.1 percent on month and 3.4 percent on year after dipping 0.5 percent on month and rising 3.5 percent on year in March. Industrial production is expected to fall 0.3 percent on month and gain 0.7 percent on ...

Fresh Water “More Precious Than Gold” in Bangladesh

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:50:03 -0400

- Fahima Begum rises each morning at dawn and walks two kilometres to a small pond, the nearest source of fresh water.On her way she passes the rusty old hand-pumped tube well that used to supply water to her village in Bangladesh's arid Barind region until the water table here dropped out of ...

Myanmar reforms ‘bear fruit’ growth to accelerate—IMF

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:24:33 -0400

A man ties a boat to a huge bamboo raft in Sittwe, northwestern Rakhine State, Myanmar, Monday, May 20, 2013. Myanmar’s economy expanded 6.5 percent last year, the IMF estimated Wednesday, as sweeping reforms herald hopes of a renaissance for the impoverished nation. AP PHOTO/GEMUNU AMARASINGHE YANGON--Myanmar’s economy expanded 6.5 percent last year and is set for further modest ...

Iraqi Police Gunmen Kill at Least 12 in Baghdad Brothel

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:51:47 -0400

Civilians gather at the scene of a car bomb attack in Kamaliyah neighborhood, a predominantly Shiite area of eastern Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, May 20, ...

Opposition Groups Call for Swaziland Election Boycott

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:51:47 -0400

King of Swaziland Mswati III (Front) and one of his 13 wives disembark from a plane after arriving at Katunayake International airport in Colombo, Sri Lanka, August 13, 2012. ...

Transitional Justice Elusive in Arab Spring Nations

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:51:47 -0400

Egyptian riot police take up positions outside the building where former president Hosni Mubarak is being tried in connection with the killing of Arab Spring ...

Vatican releases first report of financial watchdog

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:51:20 -0400

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Under pressure from global financial circles, the Vatican has published its first annual report from its financial watchdog agency.It also announced new regulations to fight money laundering and terror financing.The Vatican created the oversight agency in 2010 in an effort to shake its image as a secretive tax haven and improve its reputation in global financial circles. ...

Tough Stand urged if Phnom Penh tables plan

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:44:17 -0400

Govt prepared to boycott World Heritage meeting: Preecha Ministry officials are concerned Cambodia might again table a universal management plan for the disputed area around the Preah Vihear Temple at a Unesco World Heritage Committee (WHC) meeting in Phnom Penh next month. They will recommend to Cabinet next week that Thailand take a tough stand should Cambodia put forward the plan at the 37th ...

Central Coast Mariners Asian Champions League campaign over after Guangzhou loss

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:34:28 -0400

China Central Coast had no answer to the talent assembled so expensively by Guangzhou Evergrande as the A-League champions tumbling out the Asian Champions League on Wednesday with a 3-0 defeat in China.Manager Graham Arnold had stressed the importance of keeping a clean sheet if his side was to overturn a 2-1 first-leg deficit in the round of 16, but Brazilian midfielder Muriqui put Guangzhou ...

Richmonds PriceSmart finds right mix in catering to both Asian and English-speaking shoppers

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:30:18 -0400

METRO VANCOUVER -- While debate continues to burn over a campaign for English sign bylaws to rule over pockets of Chinese business resistance, a supermarket chain has pulled off a cross-cultural culinary coup.Many businesses across the city display dual language signage -- usually English and Chinese, in varying proportions depending on what community you're in.Few, if any, however, can ...

Foreign Students in Oklahoma Confront Tornado Threat

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:41:30 -0400

WASHINGTON -- For many Americans in the nation’s center, tornadoes are a frightening fact of life. But for foreign students, usually from countries where tornadoes never occur, twisters can be an even scarier experience. Such was the case this past Monday when a tornado devastated the U.S. town of Moore, Oklahoma, killing at least 24 people and leaving thousands homeless. "It was ...

China Pakistan to bolster ties

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:27:09 -0400

/enpproperty--> China and Pakistan said on Wednesday they will set up an economic corridor to further connect their two economies. The announcement came as ...

Philippines weighs move on China incursion

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:15:35 -0400

AFP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines--The Philippines is weighing what course of action to take in the wake of the latest Chinese incursion in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) even as the country asserted its capability to defend its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Wednesday that it was already coordinating with the Philippine Coast Guard ...

National President of Skal meets with Thailand Director of Bhutans Tourism Council

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:09:33 -0400

BANGKOK, Thailand - Seen recently in Bangkok were Karma Lotey, Director of Bhutan's Tourism Council, President of the Association of Bhutan Tour Operators (ABTO) and CEO of Yangphel Travel, visiting friend Andrew Wood, National President of Skal International Thailand. Karma and Andrew discussed many topics during his visit to Andrew's home including the setting up of a Skal Club in ...

Report on Bangladesh Building Collapse Finds Widespread Blame

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:52:10 -0400

DHAKA, Bangladesh ...

European Leaders Take Steps in Cracking Down on Tax Fraud

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:31:08 -0400

PARIS -- The European Union has announced a series of measures to crack down on tax avoidance and fraud, including the automatic exchange of bank information to catch cheats. European Union President Herman Van Rompuy hailed as "unprecedented" a series of measures against tax evasion agreed to Wednesday by the bloc's 27 leaders during a brief summit in Brussels. Among them: ...

Cameron Indications Suggest London Killing was Terror-related

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:31:07 -0400

British forensic officers attend the scene of an apparent attack which has left one man confirmed dead and two people wounded near Woolwich barracks in London, May, 22, ...

IRS Official Refuses to Testify to Congress About Scandal

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:31:07 -0400

The official at the center of the storm over the U.S. tax collection agency's targeting of conservative Tea Party groups, Lois Lerner, has refused to testify before a tense congressional hearing on Capitol Hill where Democratic and Republican lawmakers expressed their anger and frustration. Word came Tuesday the Internal Revenue Service official everyone wanted to hear from the most, Lois ...

Hezbollah Fighters Pose New Threat In Syria

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:31:07 -0400

WASHINGTON -- The civil war in Syria is taking a new, and possibly ominous turn, in the battle for Qusair, a small but strategic town near the frontier with Lebanon. For the first time, the mainly Sunni Muslim rebels seeking to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have been fighting Syrian troops backed by a large contingent of battle-hardened guerrillas from Hezbollah, the militant Lebanese ...

Thai army chief urges self-imposed curfew for teachers

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:29:09 -0400

BANGKOK (AFP) - Thailand's army chief on Wednesday urged teachers in the country's insurgency-racked south to stay at home after 6pm to avoid falling victim to militants as the new school year gets under way.Nearly 160 teachers and other school staff have been killed during a nine-year-old insurgency that has gripped Thailand's Muslim-majority deep south, bordering Malaysia.Recent ...

Catholic Church in Philippines Holds Mass in Malls

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:29:03 -0400

Early on a Sunday morning, people are already streaming into a massive shopping mall in Manila. The seven-story Robinsons Place is a temple of consumerism. It houses about 350 stores, including gun shops, dental offices, massage parlors, and a Kenny Rogers Roaster. The music and the crowds can be a little overwhelming after a while. But up on the fourth floor, next to the Cineplex and a barber ...

FBI Man shot to death while questioned in Boston probe

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:26:51 -0400

Investigators stand outside an apartment complex in Orlando, Fla., where a man was fatally shot when a team of FBI agents swarmed his home early on Wednesday, May 22, 2013. The FBI says the man, being questioned by authorities in the Boston bombing probe, was fatally shot when he initiated a violent confrontation. (AP Photo/John ...

Looking at Pakistans new era under Nawaz Sharif for the 3rd time

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:14:49 -0400

Good, bad or ugly, the 2013 elections are over; and now testing times are ahead for the new incumbents. It is the third coming for Nawaz Sharif, a remarkable turn of fortune for a leader who was ousted from power by the military at gunpoint in 1999 and convicted on treason ...

French-Asian consortium announces winning of Canada natural gas project

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:14:48 -0400

PARIS--A consortium comprising French, South Korean and Chinese companies has won a contract for a liquefied natural gas project in Canada, the French partner Technip said on ...

Jobless Karachi man finds fame in Dubai

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:03:22 -0400

Naseem Khan, "a twenty-something simpleton" from a suburb of Karachi came to Dubai in April, but got lost in search of a job, identity and a means to "send back more" for a sister on ...

International Watchdog Iran Expands Nuclear Activities

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:17:34 -0400

The International Atomic Energy Agency says Iran has made a significant step toward building a reactor that Western experts say could provide a second path to possibly producing material for a nuclear ...

Thai Same-Sex Marriage Bill Not Without Controversy

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:17:33 -0400

BANGKOK, THAILAND -- As the debate on same-sex marriage continues in Western nations, including the United States, Thailand could become the first country in Asia to legalize gay marriage. Thailand is known for its liberal acceptance of sexuality, but the draft same-sex marriage law is not without controversy. This is a traditional Thai wedding, except there is no groom. There are two ...

Council of Europe Concerned About Russias Human-Rights Record

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:17:33 -0400

MOSCOW -- Thorbjorn Jagland, secretary general of the Council of Europe, has told President Vladimir Putin that the human rights body is concerned about Russia's law requiring non-governmental organizations to register as foreign agents. Jagland said Europe will watch how the Kremlin implements the law that went in effect last November, a measure requiring non-governmental organizations ...

Boko Haram’s Funding Remains Elusive

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:17:33 -0400

A poster advertising for the search of Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau is pasted on a wall in Baga village on the outskirts of Maiduguri, in the north-eastern state of Borno, Nigeria, May 13, ...

Pope Urges Catholics in China to Stay Loyal to Vatican

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:17:33 -0400

During his weekly address Wednesday in St. Peter's Square, the pope called for prayers so Chinese Catholics can live their lives "in the service of their country and fellow citizens," in a way that is consistent with their faith. China's government does not have diplomatic relations with the Vatican. The two sides have regularly clashed over China's influence ...

Asian Water Summit Focuses on Security Disaster

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:17:32 -0400

CHIANG MAI, THAILAND -- Resource experts say many Asian countries face a potential water crisis unless they address mismanagement that could lead to severe shortages of clean water. Other states struggle to contain massive floods. The site of a just-concluded regional summit on the managing water supplies and disasters. There was no sign of a water shortage here in northern Thailand as ...

DBS allowed a stake in Danamon as Singapore and Indonesia trade horses

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:14:58 -0400

If bank regulators played high-stakes poker - and who knows, perhaps they do - then the conversation between Indonesia and Singapore around the green baize would have gone something like this: "I'll see your money for our bank - and I'll raise you access for ours to your market." Indonesia's central bank has finally approved DBS taking a stake in Bank Danamon. However it ...

Video Pakistans Imran Khan leaves hospital after two weeks

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:14:51 -0400

Pakistani politician and former cricketer Imran Khan leaves hospital after treatment for back injuries suffered in a fall during a political ...

Police say they know identities of Central World arson suspects

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:09:37 -0400

Police are gathering evidence in support of arrest warrants for two suspected arsonists and six alleged accomplices in relation to the Central World Mall fire during the 2010 riots. Following a meeting yesterday to discuss the progress of the Central World arson probe, Metropolitan Police chief Khamronwit Thoopkrajang said investigators had identified two suspected arsonists from photographs and ...

Im not here to sling mud new govt spokesman

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:09:36 -0400

The new government spokesman said his duty was not to engage in daily political attacks but to better communicate the government's policies to the public. Acknowledging his closeness to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, newly appointed spokesman Teerat Ratanasevi said he would focus on making her policies better understood by the people. Teerat was speaking before leaving for Japan with ...

Nepal - In Nepal press faces litigation for critical coverage of courts

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:05:47 -0400

Judicial authorities in Nepal should stop targeting outlets of the Kathmandu-based Kantipur Publications and dismiss a case filed against the organization and one of its journalists that accuses them of contempt of court, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on May 16, 2013.On Monday May 13, lawyer Anjani Kumar Pokhrel filed a case against Kantipur Publications and journalist Vijaya Kumar ...

Burma - In Burma telecoms risk complicity in surveillance censorship

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:05:46 -0400

International telecommunications companies risk being linked to human rights abuses if they enter the Burmese market before adequate protections are in place, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released on May 19 2013. Burma's human rights reforms thus far have been inadequate, including in the Internet and telecommunications sector, so companies entering the country should adopt robust ...

Abe to visit Myanmar to plug investments

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:05:06 -0400

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will visit Myanmar from Friday to Sunday to boost bilateral economic ties, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Wednesday.During his visit, Abe, who will be accompanied by a group of Japanese business leaders, is expected to hold talks with Myanmar's leaders and senior officials to discuss bilateral economic cooperation, said Suga. He will ...

HM King Hamad Receives Singaporean Chief of Defence Force

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:01:20 -0400

Manama-May-22(BNA)His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa today received at Al-Safriya Palace Singapore's Chief of Defence Force Major-General Ng Chee Meng and hailed strong bilateral relations. HM the King asserted Bahrain's keenness on promoting cooperation in all fields, stressing the importance of exchanging visits and expertise to bolster ties. He extended greetings to ...

Pakistans Gwadar port to be connected to China via road rail and air

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:51:01 -0400

Islamabad: In a significant move, China today signed a pact with Pakistan which will connect the latter's strategically important port of Gwadar to it via rail, road and air routes. The crucial deal was inked during Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's visit to Islamabad today.China had taken over operations at the port earlier this year, a move that had upset India.Once complete, the port, ...

It’s Time for Burma’s President to Act

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:35:27 -0400

and several diplomats in Rangoon suggested that the central orders for the offensive did not come from the president's office, and some Western observers have told me in private conversations that a "rogue commander" was at work, out of the control of the president and commander-in-chief. Continued army operations were cast as "defensive actions," interpreted liberally ...

Bangladesh building collapse owner blamed

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:19:24 -0400

THE head of an official inquiry into the deadly collapse of a Bangladesh factory complex says the building's owner was the "main culprit" for the disaster because he violated construction codes. The cave-in of the nine-storey Rana Plaza outside the capital last month killed more than 1100 workers in the country's worst industrial disaster. "He (owner Sohel Rana) is the main ...

Cash Mob Phenomenon Supports Local Business

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:04:35 -0400

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. economy posted a solid growth in the first quarter, in part due to the biggest consumer spending surge since the end of 2010. A trend sweeping the country is helping to push more of that spending toward local businesses. What do you get when you mix a store's need for more business with enthusiastic local consumers? A cash mob. Organized through social media, the ...

Kenya Truth Commission Report Links Leaders to Abuses

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:04:35 -0400

NAIROBI -- A long-awaited report from Kenya’s Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) has linked several of Kenya’s leaders, including current President Uhuru Kenyatta, to abuses committed throughout the country’s history. The commission has called for further investigation of those responsible for these crimes in an effort to bring ...

Moore Oklahoma Begins to Recover from Deadly Tornado

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:04:34 -0400

Volunteers retrieve clothing and other household items at a home destroyed by a tornado, across the street from the Plaza Towers elementary school in Moore, Oklahoma, May 22, ...

Experts Weigh In on Challenges of Closing Guantanamo Prison

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:04:34 -0400

Activists wearing orange jumpsuits mark the 100th day of prisoners' hunger strike at Guantanamo Bay during a protest in front of the White House in Washington May 17, ...

Oil falls near $95 on small drop in supplies

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:00:58 -0400

The price of oil fell near $95 a barrel Wednesday as the nation's oil supply fell less than expected and demand for gasoline remained weak.Benchmark crude for July delivery was down $1.11 to $95.07 a barrel in morning trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.The Energy Department said U.S. crude oil supplies declined by 300,000 barrels last week to 394.6 million barrels. Analysts expected ...

Asian elephant calf to meet the public today

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:00:16 -0400

St. Louis Zoo , makes her public debut today. She will be on view until noon today and again between 2 to 4 p.m. along with her mother Ellie and other members of her extended family. Keepers say the calf is doing well.After today, Priya will be on view, weather permitting, but not at scheduled times. The calf and mother will probably not be on view all ...

Pakistan influence on Taliban important for peace process Karzai

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:55:58 -0400

New Delhi, May 22 : Asserting that Pakistan is an important element in maintaining peace in Afghanistan, visiting President Hamid Karzai said on Wednesday it would be difficult to fight terrorism without Islamabad's cooperation because it has influence over ...

Ties with Pakistan aid China’s soft power

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:50:45 -0400

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and his entourage flew from India to Pakistan yesterday for a two-day visit. The plane was escorted by six Pakistani Air Force JF-17 fighter jets after entering Pakistani airspace. Both Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and caretaker Prime Minister Mir Hazar Khan Khoso welcomed Li at the airport in person, which clearly reflects the "all-weather" friendship ...

Opening up Myanmar puts heat on India

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:50:44 -0400

China and India declared during Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's recent visit to India that they have jointly proposed developing an economic corridor joining Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar, thus promoting a closer relationship between the two largest Asian markets.The Sino-Indian relationship seems to be obstructed. Many have attributed this to the unresolved border issue. Indeed, a clear ...

Economic cooperation priority for Sino-Pakistani relations

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:50:43 -0400

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is currently in Islamabad for a two-day visit. During Li's planned four countries trip, India was his first stopover, which shows that China attaches great importance to big developing neighboring countries. But similar importance has also been paid to countries that are playing a vital role in South Asia such as Pakistan. Despite the deadlock between India and ...

China Pakistan to work on energy ties

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:50:36 -0400

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang arrived in Islamabad on Wednesday on his first official visit to Pakistan, marking the second leg of Li's first overseas tour since taking office.The trip, which came on the heels of the election of Pakistan's new prime minister Nawaz Sharif, reaffirms the time-tested all-weather friendship between China and Pakistan and serves the interests of the two ...

US may end Myanmar sanctions after landmark visit by its leader

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:50:35 -0400

A key US senator on Tuesday backed an end to sanctions on Myanmar after a landmark visit by the country's reformist leader, signaling a new normalization in relations despite rights concerns.President Thein Sein, a general-turned-civilian who ended Myanmar's long isolation from the West, met lawmakers at the US Capitol one day after the first White House summit by a leader of his ...

China Pakistan plan economic corridor Li

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:47:16 -0400

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang Wednesday linked growth in his country's restive west with that in sluggish Pakistan, saying the two sides wanted to create an "economic corridor" to boost development. Li, on his first overseas trip since taking over in a once-in-a-decade power transfer in Beijing, congratulated Pakistan on its recent general election and hailed the countries' ...

Chicken mangosteen curry papaya salad soft-shell crabs–Thai cuisine reworked for the Filipino palate

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:37:21 -0400

CLASSIC Chicken Satay with peanut sauce and cucumber relish While researching on Thai cuisine in Bangkok, executive chef Cheryl Pineda observed that the locals liked to mix their viands and chicken with mangosteen. That inspired her to create her version of the chicken mangosteen curry. The extract of the mangosteen's purple rind is infused in the curry sauce. This gives the chicken ...

Wagner Kudo propel Kashiwa into Asian Champions League quarterfinals

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:30:33 -0400

Closer to the goal: Jorge Wagner celebrates after Kashiwa's second goal on Wednesday. Reysol defeated Jeonbuk Motors 3-2 to reach the Asian Champions League quarters. | ...

Sri Lanka says no Rolls Royce at CHOGM

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:26:37 -0400

"I’m drawn to cinema because I have absolute faith in its transformative power, in its ability to raise human awareness," says Nandana ...

China to lend $580 mln for Sri Lanka development projects

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:11:35 -0400

COLOMBO | Wed May 22, 2013 12:11pm EDT COLOMBO May 22 (Reuters) - China Development Bank Corporation will lend $580 million to Sri Lanka to help implement key infrastructure projects, a government document released on Wednesday showed. The loan will bring CDB's total lending to Sri Lanka to more than $1.4 billion. China's increasing influence in the island nation has stoked ...

Official Says Treasury Department Had No Role in IRS Targeting

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:51:01 -0400

The Treasury Department's number-two official said his agency played no role in the Internal Revenue Service's targeting of conservative groups. The U.S. tax collecting agency has revealed it subjected Tea Party and other conservative groups seeking non-profit status to extra scrutiny from 2010-2012. In a prepared statement to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, ...

North Korean Envoy Meets With Chinese Official in Beijing

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:51:01 -0400

A senior North Korean military official sent to China as a special envoy has met with a top Chinese official, at a time of strained relations between the two traditional ...

Fresh Clashes Conflicting Claims in Afghanistans Helmand Province

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:51:00 -0400

Fighting between Taliban militants and Afghan government forces has erupted in a highly-volatile corner of Helmand province but the extent of the violence is ...

Mt Tangkuban Parahu unmonitored due to stolen equipment

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:48:30 -0400

Activity at Mount Tangkuban Parahu in northern Bandung City, West Java, has not been monitored since Tuesday as monitoring equipment installed in Ratu crater has been stolen. The equipment stolen included a seismograph and its battery. "Mt Tangkuban Parahu last erupted between February and March with the center of eruption in Ratu crater," said head of Vulcanology and Geological ...

Monroes photos for Prague exhibition stolen

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:48:29 -0400

A publicist for an upcoming Marilyn Monroe exhibition in Prague says that photographs of the star have been stolen. Alice Titzova of the PR agency 2media says the photos, stolen late Monday, were to be on display starting May 30 at the Prague Castle. Titzova says mannequins and display cases which were part of the exhibition also disappeared. There was no word Wednesday whether the ...

Pope issues first appeal for Chinese Catholics

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:46:44 -0400

VATICAN CITY -; Pope Francis has issued his first appeal directed at Catholics in China, long the source of concern for his predecessor Benedict ...

Indian-origin men jailed in Malaysia

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:43:34 -0400

Singapore, May 22 : A court in Malaysia has sentenced two Indian-origin men to separate jail terms for brutally assaulting a Nigerian that led to his ...

Myanmar reforms push economic expansion growth to accelerate IMF

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:40:43 -0400

Myanmar's economy expanded 6.5 percent last year and is set for further modest acceleration, the IMF estimated Wednesday, as sweeping reforms herald hopes of a renaissance for the impoverished nation.At the end of a mission to the fast-changing nation, the IMF predicted the economy would grow 6.75 percent in the 2013/14 financial year, driven by gas production and investment."The ...

Asian shares mixed Tokyo ends at 5-year high

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:40:10 -0400

A visitor takes a picture of an electronic stock board on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo, Wednesday, May 22, 2013. Asian shares were mixed on Wednesday despite a strong lead from Wall Street as markets awaited testimony from the US Federal Reserve chief, but Tokyo stocks finished at their highest level in five years. AP PHOTO/ITSUO INOUYE HONG KONG--Asian shares were mixed on Wednesday ...

Big Asian AFC start by Malditas

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:31:58 -0400

The Philippine Malditas, as promised by their coach, are creating a stir in the Asian AFC Women's Qualifying. The Malditas crushed higher-ranked Iran, 6-0, Tuesday at the start of Group B play at the Bangabandu National Stadium in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Beefed up by several United States-based standouts who have NCAA Division 1 experience, the Malditas dominated the match right from the ...

Indonesias natural riches highlight international biodiversity day - in pictures

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:19:55 -0400

International Day for Biological Diversity . The Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior is touring Indonesia to document the country's rich biodiversity and call for protection for its biodiverse ...

U.S. Senate leader eases pressure on Myanmar

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:09:35 -0400

Thein Sein and said he's seen significant progress in political and economic reforms. However, he also said he had concerns about the security situation in Myanmar. McConnell, R-Ky., who sponsored legislation that placed economic sanctions on Myanmar, said he wasn't going to press the issue further because of political reforms. "I will not be making an effort to renew those ...

Christian Science Monitor In Myanmar a movement for Muslim and Buddhist tolerance

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:06:02 -0400

Days after communal violence rocked central Myanmar in late March, leaving more than 40 people dead and raising tensions in the mostly Buddhist country, a group of Muslims and a group of Buddhists decided enough was ...

NBC FBI Kills Man Linked to Boston Bombing Suspect

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:38:03 -0400

MIAMI -- An FBI agent shot and killed a Florida man with suspected links to the Boston Marathon bombings early on Wednesday, NBC News reported. NBC said the suspect was being questioned and was originally cooperative, but was fatally shot after attacking the agent. ...

Syrian Troops Show Strength Ahead of Peace Talks

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:38:03 -0400

AMMAN -- The Syrian government says it has made significant progress in recapturing territory from opposition forces, even as it apparently prepares to take part in planned peace talks next month. The government offensive against the former rebel stronghold Qusair comes ahead of a peace conference next month aimed at bringing both sides in the conflict to the negotiating table. Some ...

FBI Shooting in Florida May Be Related to Boston Bombings

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:38:03 -0400

The incident occurred in the city of Orlando. A local newspaper, The Orlando Sentinel, said a friend had identified the dead man as 27-year-old Ibragim Todashev. The friend told local media Todashev was being investigated as part of the Boston bombings and knew suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev because both were martial-arts fighters. The FBI said only that one of its agents was involved in a shooting ...

Chinas premier begins two-day Pakistan visit

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:35:59 -0400

ISLAMABAD // China's premier began a two-day visit to Pakistan yesterday by praising the relationship between the two Asian powers. Premier Li Keqiang said "the tree of China-Pakistan friendship" was planted decades ago, nurtured by successive leaders and "is now exuberant with abundant fruits". Both sides are typically effusive in describing their alliance, underlying ...

Jokowi objects to unauthorized biography movie

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:35:44 -0400

Jakarta Governor Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has objected to a movie on his life. "Frankly speaking, I'm not keen [on the idea]," he said on Tuesday as quoted ...

Fuel subsidy cut in June

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:35:43 -0400

Newly installed Finance Minister Chatib Basri says the government has resolved to increase the subsidized fuel price in June. "We have requested the increase in June but the specific date is the President to announce," he said on Wednesday, as quoted by Kompas.com. The government proposes to increase the price of subsidized premium gasoline by Rp 2,000 (20 US cents) to Rp 6,500 ...

Switch on to Rhesus negative

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:35:41 -0400

An activist has urged people in Jambi to be aware of the Rhesus (Rh) negative blood group.Coordinator for Jambi-chapter Rhesus Negative (RNI), Mira Deswita, said recognizing Rh negative was very important because,globally, very few people have the type."Around 15 to 18 percent of Caucasians are Rh negative, but Rh negative is much less common in Asia," said Mira on Wednesday.The 2010 ...

Bangladesh panel blames building owner for disaster

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:22:47 -0400

The head of an official inquiry into the collapse of a Bangladesh factory complex said Wednesday the building's owner was the "main culprit" in the disaster because he violated building ...

AirAsia Quarterly Profit Falls on Fuel Finance Expenses

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:13:00 -0400

AirAsia Bhd. (AIRA) , the region's biggest budget carrier, reported its first drop in profit in five quarters as higher fuel and finance costs eroded gains from carrying more ...

Asian Gold Premiums Hit New Highs as Europe Urged to Start Agressive QE

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:06:32 -0400

London Gold Market ReportBULLION prices rose throughout Asian and early London trade on Wednesday morning, touching $1398 per ounce for the third time this week and recovering 4.4% from Monday's one-month low.Silver rose more steadily, and was capped below $22.80 as energy prices slipped and agricultural commodities held flat.Tuesday's retreat in the gold price today ...

British Top Diplomat Stresses Need for Syria Conference

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:19:59 -0400

British Foreign Secretary William Hague speaks as Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh (R) listens during their joint news conference before a meeting of the Friends of Syria alliance in Amman, May 22, ...

Afghan President Asks India for Military Aid

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:19:59 -0400

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has given a "wish list" of military equipment to India in hopes of securing more aid before international troops leave his country next ...

Bangladeshi volunteers haunted by rescue trauma

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:18:24 -0400

SAVAR, Bangladesh (AFP) - Mamun was hailed a hero for pulling survivors from the ruins of Bangladesh's Rana Plaza factory complex but now he struggles to sleep, haunted by the memory of sawing off a young woman's hand."I had never even touched the hand of a woman before but it was the only way to save her and the others," said the 22-year-old in an interview ahead of the ...

Malaysias Election Commission gazettes election results 21 days to file objections

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:16:22 -0400

Malaysia Election Commission Chairman Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof at a press conference at the Election Commission headquarters in Putrajaya on May 3, 2013. Malaysia's Election Commission on Wednesday, May 22, 2013, gazetted the official results of the 13th General Election, the official Bernama news agency reported, citing Mr Abdul Aziz. -- ST FILE PHOTO: CAROLINE ...

IMF Sees Myanmar Growth At 6.7 This Fiscal

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:15:00 -0400

Myanmar's growth is set to accelerate slightly to 6.75 percent in the fiscal year ending March 2014 led by gas production and investment, the International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday. In an Article IV Consultation report, the IMF said ...

Drone strikes won’t end jehadi threat Pakistan’s govt must extend State’s writ in tribal areas ICG

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:12:28 -0400

A new report by International Crisis Group has said US drone strikes won't end jehadi threat in Pakistan's tribal areas and it was must for new government in Pakistan to extend State's writ in all tribal ...

Sri Lanka to resume refinery on Friday with Oman light crude

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:06:57 -0400

Wed May 22, 2013 9:06am EDT * Oman crude shipment of 1 mln barrels expected on Friday * Refinery built to process Iranian oil, yields low from Omani * Sri Lanka decides to import Murban light - minister * Sri Lanka has been buying Iran oil in mid sea - opposition MP By Shihar Aneez and Ranga Sirilal COLOMBO, May 22 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's sole refinery, which was closed last week due to a ...

Sri Lanka to use summit to showcase developments

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:05:15 -0400

The Sri Lankan government on Wednesday said that it will use a key Commonwealth summit in November to showcase the post-war developments in the ...

US to push for major factory safety reforms in Bangladesh

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:05:03 -0400

A US government delegation will visit Bangladesh this weekend to press for a major overhaul of factory safety following the nation's deadliest industrial accident, an official said ...

Montana parents quit Singapore inquest into sons death

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:03:59 -0400

HELENA --The Veterans Affairs Montana Health Care System is preparing for a major renovation of its hospital at Fort Harrison, creating ...

Chevron to sell downstream assets in Egypt Pakistan

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:03:19 -0400

Chevron is the second largest oil company in US Chevron Corp is in advanced talks to sell most of its downstream assets in Egypt and Pakistan, three sources said, with the planned disposals seen raising around $300 million for the U.S. oil major.Chevron, the second-largest U.S. oil company, is conducting a separate sale process for its assets in both countries, the banking sources said, speaking ...

Last bodies recovered from Indonesia mine collapse

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:02:53 -0400

Papua Rescuers have recovered the last seven bodies from a collapsed mine tunnel in Indonesia's Papua province, taking the accident's final toll to 28.A statement from the Indonesian subsidiary of Freeport-McMoRan says the final victims have been recovered and identified.The rescue team "recovered and identified the last of the remains of the buried workers early this ...

AirAsias profits hit by financing costs

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:55:11 -0400

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia's AirAsia Bhd (AIRA.KL), Southeast Asia's biggest budget airline by passenger traffic, posted a 39.23 percent fall in first-quarter profits on Wednesday, hurt mainly by higher finance costs and a foreign exchange loss on borrowings. AirAsia earned 104.79 million ringgit in the three months ended March, down from 172.44 million ringgit in the same ...

Welegedara blow for Sri Lanka

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:54:20 -0400

Colombo - Sri Lanka left-arm fast bowler Chanaka Welegedara has been ruled out of the Champions Trophy starting in England and Wales next month with an ankle ...

Eric Garcetti Wins Los Angeles Mayors Race

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:47:56 -0400

After receiving a concession call from Wendy Greuel shortly after 2 a.m. Wednesday, Garcetti tweeted his supporters: "Let's make this city great ...

Philippines Officials Aim to Reduce Carangan Creek Pollution

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:46:53 -0400

Trash traps made of fabricated steel have been installed by the Ecological Strengthening Through Environment Rehabilitation and Orientation (ESTERO) project of the Misamis University Community Extension Program (MUCEP) in Carangan Creek, Ozamiz ...

Chinese premier praises relationship with Pakistan in glowing terms at start of 2-day visit

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:45:52 -0400

A man walks next to huge portraits of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, right, and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, left, displayed near the presidency in Islamabad, Pakistan. Keqiang will arrive in Islamabad on May 22 on a two day official visit to hold talks with Pakistani leadership to discuss international, regional issues and enhance co-operation in bilateral ties. (AP Photo/Anjum ...

Nestle expands Singapore RD amid Asia market growth

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:41:43 -0400

Photo from http://www.nestle.com.sg/ GENEVA -- Swiss-based global food giant Nestle said Wednesday that it had expanded its research and development operations in Singapore, amid robust Asian market growth. Nestle said that it invested almost 4.0 million Swiss francs (3.2 million euros, $4.1 million) to extend its research facility, and would this year add 20 jobs to the current team of 100. ...

Uganda Sri Lanka Uganda Agree to Stronger Links

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:41:08 -0400

Kampala - Uganda signed a bilateral trade partnership with the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka last week. President Mahinda Rajapaksa was in Uganda to hold talks with President Yoweri Museveni and meet a cross section of the business community. He also officially opened the new Sri Lanka High Commission in Kampala. This is expected to strengthen the diplomatic and business ...

UK eyes giving visas to 600 Afghan interpreters

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:32:58 -0400

LONDON (AP) -- Britain is proposing to give around 600 Afghan interpreters who worked alongside its troops the right to settle in the U.K. in recognition of the risks to their personal ...

UPDATE 1-Nomura eyes Asia alliances boosts Japan asset target

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:21:11 -0400

Wed May 22, 2013 8:21am EDT (Recasts, adds COO comments and details) By Nathan Layne TOKYO May 22 (Reuters) - Japan's largest brokerage firm Nomura Holdings Inc said on Wednesday it was seeking partners to expand its retail and asset management operations in Southeast Asia and was in talks with several financial institutions in the region. Chief Operating Officer Atsushi Yoshikawa did not ...

Mattress maker Kingsdown to sell in Indonesia

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:09:46 -0400

Mattress-maker Kingsdown Inc. has signed a licensing deal to begin selling its products in Indonesia, according to Furniture Today. The Mebane-based Kingsdown will partner with the Massindo Group, a large Indonesian mattress and furniture producer. As part of the agreement, Massindo plans to open five retail Sleep Centers this year featuring Kingsdown products. Kingsdown is working to ...

More Fighting in DRC City Ahead of Bans Arrival

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:09:02 -0400

Wednesday's fighting outside the city of Goma marks the third straight day of clashes between the Congolese army and rebel group M23. Witnesses say an artillery round landed in Goma's Ndosho neighborhood, killing one person and injuring three others. There was no indication which side launched the round. Mr. Ban arrived in the DRC capital, Kinshasa, on Wednesday, at the start ...

Hospitals cancel withdrawal from healthcare program

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:06:47 -0400

As many as 14 private hospitals that previously expressed their intention to withdraw from the Kartu Jakarta Sehat (KJS) healthcare program are now saying that they will stay following the city administration's plan to evaluate the program. "The 14 hospitals have agreed to stay with us and we are going to thoroughly evaluate the whole program within the next month," Jakarta Health ...

Two drug dealers arrested in Jambi

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:06:46 -0400

Jambi Police have arrested two drug dealers in separate operations on Tuesday.Jambi Police's narcotics unit director Sr.Comr.Irawan David Syah said that the two drug dealers - Ardiansyah, 32, and Dadang, 30 - were both former convicts.Dadang was apprehended at the Taman Jaksa area, Telanaipura district, Jambi City, on Tuesday."We confiscated around half an ounce of marijuana from the ...

South Korean investors to build steam power plant in Jambi

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:06:45 -0400

Jambi governor Hasan Basri Agus unveiled that the South Korean government has agreed to build a steam power plant (PLTU) in Tebo regency, Jambi. The agreement, he said, resulted from his visit to the country earlier this month. "This is a G to G cooperation but the project will be carried out in Jambi," he said. The power plant is expected to be able to produce 400 megawatts of ...

Mt Sangiang Api on alert

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:06:43 -0400

Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center raised the status of Mount Sangiang Api in Sangiang Island, Bima regency, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), to alert after volcanic activity continued to increase over the past two weeks.Local residents and visitors have been warned to stay outside a 5-kilometer radius from the crater. The mountain has been closed to climbers.The head of Mt. Sangiang ...

Axiata eyes Axis Indonesia takeover bid

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:06:10 -0400

Malaysia-based Axiata Group is said to be considering a bid for mobile network operator PT Axis Telekom Indonesia, according to unnamed sources who claim to have knowledge of the matter. The three people, who wish to remain anonymous as the information is 'private', claim that the takeover bid could be mounted through Axiata's Indonesian ...

Huawei demonstrates LTE-TDD in Indonesia

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:06:09 -0400

Chinese equipment manufacturer Huawei Technologies this week demonstrated 4G Long Term Evolution Time Division Duplex (LTE-TDD) technology in Indonesia, showcasing its services as part of its bid to enhance its commitment to the country's ...

Japanese firms to roll out Myanmar fibre

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:06:05 -0400

NEC have concluded a deal with the Myanmar government for the deployment of a fibre-optic network linking three major cities, ZDNet reports. The deal will see the trio of Japanese vendors install a 30Gbps backbone linking Yangon, Mandalay and Naypyitaw, as well as rolling out fibre-based networks (FTTx) within those cities, capable of transmission speeds of up to 10Gbps. The project is to be ...

Talisman Begins Oil Production at HSTHSD Offshore Vietnam

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:03:50 -0400

Talisman Energy reported Wednesday that first oil production has been achieved at its Hai Su Trang and Hai Su Den (HST/HSD) development, offshore Vietnam. Gross production is expected to reach 15,000 barrels per day once the facilities are fully commissioned. The HST/HSD development comprises two offshore oil fields in Block 15-2/01 on the western edge of Vietnam's prolific Cuu Long Basin. ...

Philippines investigation team on shooting incident to leave for Taiwan

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:57:40 -0400

The Philippines will soon send an investigation team to Taiwan to gather evidence on the death of a Taiwanese fisherman killed by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said Wednesday."The team will be leaving very soon," de Lima told reporters Wednesday, but she would not confirm when the team would exactly leave for Taipei, explaining that is because the ...

Premier Li visits Pakistan

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:54:56 -0400

A soldier walks near a bus as he helps to secure the area and clear the roads before the motorcade of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang passes by in Islamabad May 22, 2013. ...

Pakistan court rejects Musharraf bail in judges case

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:51:09 -0400

Pervez Musharraf over the detention of judges during his 1999-2008 rule, the state prosecutor said. The ruling came two days after a court granted bail to Musharraf over the murder of former prime ...

Clothes for the West Inside a Bangladesh factory

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:49:04 -0400

A month after the deadly factory collapse in Bangladesh, that killed more than a thousand people, ITV News visited one of the factories in Dhaka that makes clothing for the west. ITV's Laura Kuenssberg ...

SE Asia’s forests Development’s victims

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:44:14 -0400

One of the world's hotbeds of biodiversity, the forestland of Southeast Asia, is being sacrificed on the altar of development and global capitalism. A spate of all but unrestrained development projects across SE Asia - from Burma to Vietnam to Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos - is spelling doom for the region's tropical forests and the uniquely rich ecosystems they ...